Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Concluded a Study Visit to The Gambia

A delegation from the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) concluded a study visit to The Gambia from 9th to 15th June 2024. The purpose of the visit was to get firsthand information about the Gambia’s Transitional Justice (TJ) process and the work of the Gambia National Human Rights Commission, the efforts being made and mechanisms in place to ensure non-recurrence of human rights violations through institutional and legal reforms, stakeholders’ experience in partnership management, efforts towards the implementation of the Government White Paper, best practices, opportunities, challenges and lessons learned.

The Gambia is among the most recent countries in Africa that has experienced TJ process and has successfully completed its truth-seeking process.

The NHRC has been a major player in The Gambia’s TJ process since its establishment in 2019 and has been mandated, in the Government White Paper on the Report of the TRRC, to monitor the implementation of the TRRC recommendations.


Ms. Rakeb Messele Aberra, Deputy Chief Commissioner of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and also head of the delegation, expressed her impression about the work of NHRC and other key players in the TJ process.

“Our visit was focused on the transitional justice process in The Gambia. We received useful information about the NHRC’s work in that area, which EHRC can adapt to the Ethiopian context. We took note of the NHRC’s important role in monitoring the implementation of the recommendations of the TRRC, and in ensuring that the transitional justice process is victim-centred by creating forums for victims’ participation and engagement with relevant State actors, is a good practice we took note of,’ said Ms. Aberra.

The delegation also held meetings with various actors in the transitional justice process in The Gambia, including, Gambia Press Union, Gambia Bar Association, Victims’ Associations and some local civil society organisations.

According to the Deputy Chief Commissioner, some of the challenges that the EHRC faces in monitoring and reporting human rights include conflict and insecurity in some parts of the Ethiopia which makes access to these areas difficult. Additionally, a complex and polarized political environment makes human rights work in general challenging, particularly in investigating reported violations. Nonetheless, EHRC has been able to monitor, investigate and publish dozens of reports and public statements on human rights issues across Ethiopia.